Satyajit Ray..a rare view inside

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Satyajit Ray (2 May 1921–23 April 1992)

was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. Ray is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema.[1] Born in the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata) into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and letters, Ray studied at Presidency College and at the Visva-Bharati University. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing the Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves during a visit to London.
Ray directed thirty-seven films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, graphic designer and film critic. Ray's first film, Pather Panchali, won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Document at the Cannes film festival. Along with Aparajito and Apur Sansar, the film forms the Apu trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, cinematography, art direction, editing and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards, including 32 National Film Awards, a number of international awards, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992.

Ray created two very popular characters in Bengali children's literature—Feluda, a sleuth, and Professor Shonku, a scientist. He was a prominent writer of science fiction in Bengali or any Indian language for that matter. He also wrote short stories which were published as volumes of 12 stories, always with names playing on the word twelve (for example Aker pitthe dui, or literally "Two on top of one"). Ray's interest in puzzles and puns is reflected in his stories, Feluda often has to solve a puzzle to get to the bottom of a case. The Feluda stories are narrated by Topshe, his cousin, something of a Watson to Feluda's Holmes. The science fictions of Shonku are presented as a diary discovered after the scientist himself had mysteriously disappeared. Ray's short stories give full reign to his interest in the macabre, in suspense and other aspects that he avoided in film, making for an interesting psychological study.[48] Most of his writings have now been translated into English, and are finding a new group of readers.
Most of his screenplays have also been published in Bengali in the literary journal Eksan. Ray wrote his autobiography encompassing his childhood years, Jakhan Choto Chilam (1982) and essays on film: Our Films, Their Films (1976), along with Bishoy Chalachchitra (1976), Ekei Bole Shooting (1979). During the mid-1990s, Ray's film essays and an anthology of short stories were also published in the West. Our Films, Their Films is an anthology of film criticism by Ray. The book contains articles and personal journal excerpts. The book is presented in two sections—Ray first discusses Indian film, before turning his attention towards Hollywood and specific international filmmakers (Charlie Chaplin, Akira Kurosawa) and movements like Italian neorealism. His book Bishoy Chalachchitra was translated in 2006 as Speaking of Films, and contains a compact description of his philosophy of different aspects of the cinema. Ray also wrote a collection of nonsense verse named Today Bandha Ghorar Dim, which includes a translation of Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky". He also authored a collection of humorous stories of Mullah Nasiruddin in Bengali.
Satyajit Ray designed four typefaces for roman script named Ray Roman, Ray Bizarre, Daphnis, and Holiday Script, apart from numerous Bengali ones for the Sandesh magazine.[49][50] Ray Roman and Ray Biazarre won an international competition in 1971.[51] In certain circles of Kolkata, Ray continued to be known as an eminent graphic designer, well into his film career. Ray illustrated all his books and designed covers for them, as well as creating all publicity material for his films. He also designed covers of several books by other authors

About forty years of filmmaking, with a film a year, was interrupted by his fragile health in the mid-1980s. Ray's Ghare-Baire (Home and the World, 1984) based on a novel by Rabindranath Tagore, was a return to his first screen adaptation. While shooting, he suffered two heart attacks and his son, Sandip Ray, completed the project from his detailed instructions.
1989-1992 Ill health kept Satyajit Ray away from active filmmaking for about four years. In 1989, he resumed making films with Ibsen's An Enemy of the People as the basis for his Ganashatru (Enemy of the People, 1989). This was followed with Shakha Prashakha (Branches of the Tree, 1990) and Agantuk (The Stranger, 1991). This series of three films were to be his last. Many film critics and film historians found these films a marked departure from his earlier work. In 1992, He accepted a Lifetime Achievement Oscar from his sickbed in Calcutta through a special live satellite-television event and Bharat Ratna (the Jewel of India), the ultimate honour from India. Satyajit Ray died on April 23, 1992, leaving behind the an immortal legend that will last through the ages.

SUKUMAR ROY..A LEGACY LOST

Sukumar Roy, one of the greatest writers and illustrators in the history of Bengali literature, was born in 1887. Like his father, Upendrakishore, and like his son, Satyajit, Sukumar, despite his sense of humor, had intense powers of concentration. He would become entirely oblivious of everything while working out a creative problem from the beginning to the end. Swift minded, he synthesized words and images. Unfortunately, his literary style is very difficult to translate. Satyajit made an effort to put into English some verses from "The King of Bombagarh" , from the book, Abol-Tabol(Gibberish).At eight years old this embryonic family humorist completed his first creative feat - a poem to "Nadi", the river. Upendrakishore, "with the eye, hand and soul of an artist", was only too eager to watch for what his eldest son would produce next. It took some time, but the next year Sukumar, who showed inventiveness in sport and entertaining all the younger children, produced his second poem, "Tick, Tick, Tong". It was really a translation of "Hickory, Dickory, Dock". Father, who was alreay writing for children, gave Sukumar's poem to the children's magazine "Mukul".

At nine, Sukumar emerged an author in print.

When he was a student at Presidency College, he created the home-based Nonsense Club with membership open to those with a flair for the ridiculous, practical joking and, most of all, acting. At some point before 1911, when Sukumar was sent off to England, Suprabha Das, the rather tall and beautiful teenaged grand-daughter of the visionary Kalinarayan Gupta, was introduced to Sukumar's Nonsense Club. Sukumar, no doubt, had his eye on Suprabha Das before he went to England on a scholarship of Technology to study photography and half-tone printing. 

On Sukumar's return from England in 1914, he married Suprabha Das and their son, Satyajit, was born on May 2nd, 1921. By this time Sukumar was attacked by the bacteria of the then fatal disease of blackwater fever. Fever penetrated deeper and deeper with the bacteria affecting one organ after another until Sukumar found himself tied to wheelchair. Yet he continued to write. His wit remained unimpaired. Persistently he continued to bring out "Sandesh", the children magazine. His undying sense of humour and a yearning for surreal visions and images is evident in his last poem "Abole Tabole" (Follows Below with a literal translation) written in his death bed. Sukumar Roy, who brought something refreshingly new to Bengal's literature, died on September 10th, 1923.

The most popular work by Sukumar is the Abol Tabol. It is one my favourites too. I have over here the complete Abol Tabol in Bengali as it was published by the author. I also have the illustrated Hensoram Hunisiarer Diary, three poems from Khai Khai, some stories from Pagla Dashu, etc. My apologies to those who do not read Bengali.

Supply Chain Management..an introduction

Introduction
Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a systematic integration of suppliers, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), distributors and customers in order to produce and distribute the right quantities, to the right locations, at the right time, and at the cheaper cost, while satisfying the entire supply chain partners (Balsubramanium & Roosebelt). It is an approach that involves a multi-organizational system, which encompasses the procurement of raw materials, conversion of raw materials to finished goods, and distribution of finished goods to the end users smoothly, by sharing required information throughout the supply chain. Recent supply chain practices dictates zero stock level of inventories at all stages of supply chain. A well-managed supply chain links the suppliers, OEM, distributors and customers by a suitable information system for controlling and coordinating the supply and distribution flow of services, products, and related information across boarder in order to achieve optimum productivity, overall satisfaction and joyful relation at cheaper cost. Hence, movement of materials and information flow must move parallel to have effective control over the whole system of supply chain. The success of supply chain ultimately depend upon the capacity of the supply chain partners to respond as quickly as possible to the demand, through a reliable information bridge, which connects the whole chain. Thus the faster information plays an important role for managing the pull based equipment supply process throughout the chain. The very philosophy of supply chain is based on the coordinated information and smooth material flow (Lee and Billington, 1993). According to Chandra and Chilove (2001) various supply chain members, maintain synchronized coordination through commitments amongst its members, which leads to reduction of lead time, reduction in cost, mutually agreed decision making process and enhance the productivity of each member, which ultimately enhance the performance of whole network. For achieving this mutually beneficial coordination with a suitable and dedicated information system is essentially required. Quick and effective information system helps manager to understand the customers response, their demands, inventory in the stock, how much to be produced, when to be produced and where to deliver and when, within no time. Here comes the role of Internet, which is considered as a cheapest inter-organizational information-system, which helps in aligning the interdependent strategies to achieve cooperative rather than competitive role of SCM partners.

Supply Chain is shown, in which goods flow starts from tier-II supplier and ends with products at final customer. Tier-II supplier keeps inventory of raw material at the starts of the production and an inventory of component at the end. Tier-I supplier gets supply of components from Tier-II supplier, keeps inventory of component at the start of the production and an inventory of sub-assembly at the end. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) gets sub-assembly from Tier-I supplier, keeps inventory of sub-assembly at the start of the production and an inventory of final product at the end. Similarly at further stages of supply chain i.e. at OEM’s warehouse, distributor’s warehouse and retailer’s warehouse also inventory is maintained and finally supply is made to the customer on demand. But it is also shown that all the stages of supply chain are connected with Internet with each other. Hence, information can flow from any stage to every stage within seconds. If ordered goods can also be supplied from any stage to every stage on demand. For example, Sundram fasteners supplies to brakes India, Brakes India supplies to Maruti car manufacturer, Maruti car co. supplies to the warehouse, from warehouse car moves to distributors and from distributors to customers. At the same time any stage can get supply from all stages on demand because inventory is maintained at all the stages. Here information and goods move parallel from one stage to the another stage. Since, computers at all the stages are connected with network of Internet, the overall management of material flow, types of transportation, distance, lot size, lead-time, storage system at the shop floor, timeliness, reliability of system, order volume, number of suppliers, system of transportation, payment schedule, vendor selection etc., can be optimized with mutual cooperation. Optimization reduces cost and improves services, which results in customer satisfaction.

Watch This video :

Using Supply Chain Management to Improve Profits

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=nqqFkoHSi7c&feature=related

Growing up with Enid Blyton....

I still remember , in my early school days, there was a once-a-week -small Library inside our school, and the book collection was not quite what we call extensive, but managed enough to refresh our flights of fantasies every week, every single week.

And it was then in Class 3 when I read my First Noddy book, and ........

it was love at first sight for me,............ then slowly came the Bedtime stories.... and as time passed, .....I have gone through The Famous Five, The Five Find-outers, The Secret Seven, Adventurers, and so on and so forth.

My vacations were spent in the amazing mystries and adventures along with the characters of these stories.

I created a world of my own like so many others, and the conjurer for this magic world was none other than THE ENID BLYTON, the name which looks so familiar now, as if I see my own name.

The writing was so simple, so lucid, that even a boy like me from a completely different socio economin and cultural background identified himslef readily with the characters and became a part of them.

I want to thank her so much, because I consider that the person I am today, has a lot to do with this stories, the tales of Hope, Spirit, Positivesness, willingness to see through it all, and still smile, .....Thank You Enid Blyton.

For those people who are Enid Blyton fans like me...and would to go back down the memory lane, with Georgina Kirrin, the Circus Parties,the five find outers, the secret seven guys, and the good old bedtime stories.I am trying to share my collection so far for you guys to enjoy a trip back in time.below is a list of stories that i have with me....if you have any more....then please share them with me....

A. Famous Five :

1.Five On A Treasure Island

2. Five Go Adventuring Again

3. Five Run Away Together

4. Five Go to Smuggler's Top

6. Five Go Off in a Caravan

7. Five On Kirrin Island Again

8. Five Go Off To Camp

9. Five Get into Trouble

10. Five Have A Wonderful Time

B. Adventure Series :

1. The Island of Adventure

2. The Castle of Adventure

3. The Valley of Adventure

4. The Sea of Adventure

5. The Mountain of Adventure

6. The Ship of Adventure

7. The Circus of Adventure

8. The River of Adventure

C. Adventouroes Four

1. The Adventurous Four

2. The Adventurous Four Again

D. The Rilloby Fair Mystery

E. Secret Seven stories

F. Five Found outers.

G. St Clares

E. Malory Towers.

Leave your comments behind, and follow my blog regularly for more updates.Moreoever new suggestions are are always welcome.

I am  uploading this books in my blog www.myenidblyton.blogspot.com, visit there to read the same and if you require a pdf version for the same, leave a comment requesting so with your email id, and i will be forwarding the same to you.

Take care have a lovely day

fOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS GREAT AUTHOUR. CLICK THE DOWN LINK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid_blyton

my introductory blog....about childhood

This is my introductory blog...to share with you a short sketch of my childhood.

Ihail from a very simple family with deeprooted traditional values. For me it was the usual....in my child hood...i grew up with the sound of rabindranath tagore's compositions...brilliant writings of satyajit ray(famed as a one of th greatest film directors ever), and other great writers of bengal, with the foriegn element being provided by Enid Blyton, Herge(Tintin),Hans anderson, wonderful russian authours like nikolas ostrovosky,pavel korchagin,etc(ofcourse they were translated to english), and translated chinese and japanese folklores.All the credit for this exposure to my reading habit goes to my Father specially.
It was quite an eventful time with great friends, delightful memories and the fantacies that a child's brain can think of. Mischief and creativity were the order of the day.
Since i grew up in a closely knit family with no siblings... i enjoyed a very intense bond with my parents...my mother was always my fairy...always there to fulfill my wishes... and i was.. out and out an outdoor person....swimming...badminton..cricket....running...wonderful days.....

Every winter, in the afternoon, whenever i get a time to take a walk and ponder back...i keep on flying into those days....and realize that it is like curse to grow up....we gain money...we make names...we are known as the matured citizen.....we gain all the material wealth that we can earn...we are free..no one to scold us.....AND IN TURN....we loose...our simplicity...our passion for the things that we believe..i Lost my mother.....my father is just a shadow of the past.....my childhood friends....all grown up...our thought limited by the boundaries of rationality......our ability to trust has faded away........
Just too many things that I lost to be a grown up....